Binder



March 13, 1945.. L. J. THOELE,

BINDER Filed April 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jalz/rlzcef [720619 March 13, 1945.

I L. .1. THOELE 2,371,198

BINDER Filed April 11, 1941 2 Sheeis-Sheef 2 jZZ/fi/O? Zawrezzaaf 77506152 Patented Mar. 13, 1945 I f UNITED Isidore Spinner, Chicago, Ill. i v Application April 11, 1941, Serial No. 388.138

5 Claims.

This invention relates to bindersin general and, more particularly, to mechanical binders of the type adapted tobe inserted through aligned perforations in a stack of pages forbinding them together.

The binder of the present invention is of the type shown in the patent to Douvry, No. 1,970, 28 5. issued August 151934, and comprises a back from which extend a plurality of fingers that are curled into loops, the free ends of the fingers overlapping the back. When binders of the above mentioned type are made for large or heavy books or stacks of pages they must, of course, be made comparatively stiff. When so made it frequently happens that a tooth or series of teeth are forced along the back beyond their normal position and a distancesuch as to exceed the elastic limit of the material. This permanently deforms the individual fingers or loops that have been thus forced beyond their normal position, anddestroys the aesthetic appearance of the binder and may also interfere with the .turning of the bound pages. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a binder which'will overcome this difficulty by preventing inward movement of the teeth or fingers in the loop beyond their nor? mal position. This is accomplished, in one preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, by forminga plurality of down struck tabs in the back, which tabs form abutments for limiting the It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a binder of .the above mentioned character whereinthe fingers of the loop extend through slots in theback to prevent movementaof the fingers longitudinally of the back while at the sametime avoiding any appreciable projections of the back inwardly or outwardly of the binder. n

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a binder of the'above mentioned character wherein the fingers are held against outer projections from any of the surfaces, thus extent of peripheral sliding of the fingers in the loop.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a binder of the above mentioned character with means for preventing the accidental withdrawal of the ends of the fingers from the loop, that is, for preventing the accidental opening of the loop, while at the same time permitting the loop to beopened when it is desired to do so. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention the rings or fingers are provided with projections adjacenttheir end, which projections enter. into slots in the back. By this arrangement 9. direct outward pull on the fingers is ineffective to withdraw the fingers from the loop. The fingers may, however, be withdrawn from the loop by first pressing them away from the back to withdraw the finger tab from the slot in the back and then uncurling the finger or fingers. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a binder wherein the tab on the finger which limits accidental retraction of thefinger cooperates with the very. slot thatis formed by the tab in the back for limiting the inward movement of the finger in the loop,

i the stack of pages;

facilitating insertion of the smooth fingers into or removal from aligned perforations in a stack of sheets to be bound together.

. While the structure of the present. invention is particularly applicable to binders, it is not limited to binders. Individual rings or groups of rings may be provided to act as binders for securing any other parts together. For instance, individual. rings may be used as key rings, napkin rings, or the like. Also, individual rings or groups of rings may be used as supports for hanging curtains or the like. v

The attainment ofthe above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following. specification taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof. r In thedrawings: I Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which binder'of the present invention is to be made; 4

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through a binder inserted through a stack of pages;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of inserting the binder of Figure 3 into Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of a book bound by the binder of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a strip for forming an individual'binder ring embodying the present invention;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a ring formed from the strip of Figure 6; t

Figure 8 is an end view of a blank for forming another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the blank of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the line I li -I 0 of Figure Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along the line ll--Il ofFigure 12;

spaced apart, as indicated at 4. The fingers are of a width equal to the width of the spaces between the fingers. from which the binder l is made. The blanltris made of a comparatively thimsheet/of, spring steel cut or stamped to the shapeillustrated'in Figure 1 so that the fingers 3 are smoothrandtfreer of sharp corners and are rounded at their edges and-are also rounded a-t the'fi'nger'ends s where the fingers extendfror-rrthe-back": In linewith each finger 3"-the*back-'has-' a-tab 8" stamped ouh wardiy therefroma short distance:- The* dis tance that the-:tab should extend n'eed be only slightly in excess of' thethickness of the mate rial; or it may- I be even less tharr the" thicknessof the material, if desired. The tab 8 formsa {V'- shaped space ln between the tab and thcadiacent-' part'rof the back. When= the individual fin gersiare curl'edr'the: ends l l 'of the' fihgers remote fromthe back. 2 enter 'into :th'e-V space III; as illustrated in: Figure -3;' thus firm-1y holdings the ends ofthe'fingers against collapseinwardiof' the- 35 anddevoid of projections; extending outwardly loop;

The blank: l maybe zcmled to :the shape inus-- trated in Figure 4 anclith'eniforced into tubulalr formation: to. thew shape illustrated in Figure 3 aft'era' the: ends of? the fingers; 3 are=inserted through align'edperforationsr It: in a stack of pages: or 511881385 I53! which may include= covers= lGf -l 6, having; similar?" perforations: I 4: II desired; however, the blanlcz may be" -curled': toxthe shape-illustrated:imFiguresarbeforei it 1% has been:

inserted: 1 through ,the; pages; and; then; thezrblankr may be spread apart to move the-fingers a'vaway from'itliezs b'aCki'Z a2 sufficient:;distanceitorpermit theafingerss- 3 to; enter; 'theiperforationm I417 The. bmderrtheniisspermitteditoz recurltunderaits natr-l uraliresiliencyr wherebyitautomatically resumes,

the shape illustrated in Figureficduei-toiatirwma herent resiliency of the materials A snitable'mahineiorrinsertinga prefonnedibinder: suclras-illustrated in Figure; 3.: into aligned perforations: in: a stack; of; sheets is.-,illnstratect in: the: patent to Christian B: Nelsoniand Isidore-Spinner, .NOL 2,108,136, issued February 15, 1938. Ifithegpreeformedtbinder is: :of a-sha-pevillustrated ;in-.- Eigure 4 then, when i the fingers; are ;forced1-inj: therner-n forations; 4;, theends; of, theifingers: 3 may; be forced onthe outsidelof the backaardistanceapv preciably beyond the tabs 8 beypndltheselasticc limitv of-the; material,randemamthenbe withdrawn so that; when r they. are; guided: to. the; inside of a the back they will. spring into the V 81012:. H] formed; by the. tab .8-with ;therback, thussfiimlw holding the curled spring fingersiinethebackw Figures 6 and? illustratedndivicluiilrzfi l filrings similar to that of Figuresl exceptihat,theu-ingse are. notrl'oinedtogethert byjaaback. In this -in stance.- each ring. of; Eiglire '71 is,,formed, from, aspring, steel blank 1 8jhaving a'projection or;tabr 8' struck therefrom at one endjin' the same manner as illustratedinFlgure 1': 'Iflie'sprinasteeFbiank. I8 is perfectly fiat and i'ree of sharpcorners; 18

7 and '-Isidore Spinner;

When-the book is in, use the edges'361'0f the, slots 21 maintain the ends--30'off the; fingers: against movement in'a direction; lengthwise; off

the edges being rounded at the end l9, which is to be inserted in aligned perforations in a stack of pages. The blank 18 may be curled to the shape illustrated in Figure 7. Individual rings, illustrated in Figure 7, may then be opened, without exceeding the elastic limit of the material, to permit positioning of a ring opposite a row of aligned perforations, in the same manner as is:;ill,ustrated irrFigure .Smand *therrrings then permitted to contract under: their natural resiliency t to reclose to the shape illustrated in Figure 7.

Reference may now be had more particularly to the binder blank illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and 10'. This blank is made of thin spring steel and ures 1 andfirshowazblanka 15300111211585. arback; 25 having spaced apart fingers 3::separatedlby spaces 4 of the same width as the fingers. The fingers are shaped the same as are the correspondingfingers of the'blank of Figure 1;, The-back 25 has tabs 8' formed therein similar to the tabsfl of Figure 1 but spaced slightly fartherfrom 'the-"edgeiwof'the back than inthe case-ofthe blank offl 'igure =1: The tabs-8"proj ect' 'from-thesurface of-'the-back andarelocated each onthe-same center as a finger opposite eaclr tab is a, slot 21 of a width only very-slightly greatenthanfthe widthof a fingery3 so thatupon, curling off the finger theend 1 of the finger fits, snuglyinto the'slotifl'. Opposite each slot-121 themetal ofthe'back is depressed-, asdndicated,

30 at=25 the depth:ofthedepressioni Ebeingslightly in" excess'of the thickness-of the metal 3 of the stripand" preferably not" to exceed twice the thickness ofith metali The freeends 3U" of'the fingers =3 are :smootlr and 'devoid of sharp comers;

from'a". surface thereof;' in order tofacilitate insertiont offithe ends of" the teeth into aligned: perforations in a" stack of pages, or withdrawal of the 'teeth from ,said perforations.

-1 The; binder: of the biank'of Figure ,9 is, curled:

either;to'the;shape illustrated'in-Figure 4jor into a complete loop,with the ends 30 ofthe, fingers on'the-outsideoffthe back 25. If the preformed binderisin the form ofa; complete loop, with the,

4b ends-3n overlapping; the outside of the backthe.

material; and'fthen .permittedto recur] and, pass through'thealigned perforations l4'in'the stackiv of pages l5 beingbound. At that timetheends 30"0f the" fingers -are forced. into the sl0ts..,2lf in, the back" until' they come into abutment with 66 the; tabs ,8. The tabs,8"1imit the extentof'insertionyof tlrexfihgers 3fljin,the p. Thereafter,v ii a; loop issubjected to axialcompressionthe,

fiIIgSliYS'TWlH-ZIIOI; tend to .s1ide in ,theloop ,of ;'the. binder., The narrowbridg e, 34gserves ,to hold the 0 end oftthe finger against upward movement un.-

der itsnatural'resiliency, The end of each curled finger lies in ,thedepreSsiOn ..2.9 thus avoiding any protrusionorbulge on.the outside offthe binder:

at't'h'e place where thefingers extend through the. 05 back: Thebinder'illustratedfin Eigllre llmay be.

opened to'permit removalfofpages therefrom by, merely-'pulling'the fingers outwardly from the, slots 2T"il1"thf8 same" manner as .describ'edinthe. above mentioned-patentito Christian B. Nelson the binder;,thus'maintaining arigid structure.

Figure 13 illustrates; in fragmentary 'form, a

construction similar to Figure 11 except that the tabs 8' are somewhat longer, as in'the case of Figure 1, so that the ends of the fingers H extend into the V slot l between the tab 8' and the back, as in Figure 3. Insofar as parts of this figure are the same as of Figure 11 the same reference numerals have been used.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a fewpreferred embodiments of my invention. It is, however; to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles ofthe invention. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A binder comprising a back having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom and curled to form with the back closed loops with the fingers on the inside of the loops, the outer surface of the fingers being free of any concave curvature, and projecting tabs projecting inwardly from the back intermediate the width thereof and in alignment with fingers and constituting stops for limiting the curling of the fingers, the inner and outer surface of the curled fingers being smooth and devoid of outer projectionsto facilitate curling of the binder through material being bound.

2. A binder comprising a back having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom and curled to form with the back closed loops of more than 360, and projecting tabs extending from the back in alignment with the fingers, the free end of each finger abutting against the tab aligned therewith for limiting the extent of overlap of the finger and the back, the free end of each finger being smooth at all its edges and surfaces and free of outward projections from any of its surfaces to facilitate insertion of said free ends into and withdrawal from aligned perforations in stacks of sheets to be bound.

What I consider new periphery of the loop 3. A ring comprising a strip of spring material formed into a closed 100p of more than 360, one end of the strip being adapted for insertion through a slot and being curved along the same curvature as the rest of the loop to that very end of the strip, the opposite end of the strip having a slot therein through which said one end extends and having a projection spaced from the slot and forming an abutment against which said one end bears to limit the extent to which said one end can be inserted through the slot in the strip.

4. A ring comprising a strip of spring material formed into a closed loop of more than 360, one end of the strip being adapted for insertion through a slot and being curved along the same curvature as the rest of the loop to that very end of the strip, the opposite end of the strip having a slot for receiving said one end of the strip and a projection adjacent to but spaced from said opposite end and extending from ,the towards said opposite end and together with the adjacent part of the loop embracing said first mentioned end.

5. A ring comprising a strip of material formed into a closed loop of more than 360, one end of the strip constituting a curved finger the inner and outer surfaces and the edges of which are smooth and devoid of outward projections to facilitate insertion of the ring through an opening in material without injury to the material as the finger is inserted therein, said finger being curved along the same curvature as the rest of the loop to the very end of the finger, the opposite end of the strip having a projection adjacent to but spaced from said opposite end and adapted to receive the said one end of the strip to limit its movement in one direction along the inside of the loop.

to be secured by the ring and 

